


Irregular

by neoworlds



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Dystopia, Cross-Posted on Wattpad, Music Video: Regular (NCT 127), NCT 127 Ensemble-centric, Neo city, Other, Supernatural Elements, Superpowers, enjoy :), irregulars are people with superpowers, markhyuck will come later in the book
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-17
Updated: 2021-03-02
Packaged: 2021-03-12 14:36:12
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 14
Words: 10,416
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29511204
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/neoworlds/pseuds/neoworlds
Summary: new dawn arose as ten irregulars join together to find solace in a community for outcasts.or127 are powerful superhuman beings assigned to protect neo city, a community built ground-up from the cosmos for beings just like them.
Relationships: Lee Donghyuck | Haechan/Mark Lee
Comments: 4
Kudos: 19





	1. Chapter 1

[lowercase intended.]

behind the walls of a seemingly innocent apartment building in seoul, there was a man. a man with a plan. the said man stood in front of a monitor and four large screens. these screens had been monitoring ten people since they were infants, but these ten weren't ordinary humans. they were known to society as irregulars. but to society, irregulars were a myth. people with superpowers didn't exist, only in the movies. yet, irregulars had been living among them for centuries. he watched as one with deep grey eyes vanished into thin air. 

"incredible," the man whispered, amazed by what they could do. he decided to wait until they were much older to put his plan into action. 

sixteen years later.....

“ten” the monotonous voice placidly called out. 

“ten?” 

the elder continued to stare off into the distance. 

“irregulars” the older man replied after a still silence. 

letting out an almost inaudible sigh the younger also turned towards the neon lights polluting the night sky. 

“right” he breathed out tiredly. 

“we need them taemin,” the older man tapped his finger on the hardwood desk. 

tearing his eyes away from the artificial view he chewed on his plump lips his soft features contorted into a frown. 

“yes, sir” he let out breathlessly, playing with his fingers. anxiously, his voice echoed out “but mr. sooman; what are you going to do with them?” 

his question cut the elder out of his musings, bringing him to reality. his finger ceased the tapping as he looked at taemin 

“the metropolis needs protection; they might be our only hope, we don’t have many options” lee soo man chuckled bitterly 

picking up the sleek black files he held them out in the air towards taemin. the younger gingerly clasped the files to his chest, stepping back in a silent nod of agreement. then, he vanished behind the wall.

"now what I didn't tell him is the prophecy..." lee sooman pulled a large emerald book out of the bottom of his desk. 

_the neon city, glowing city full of technology won't forever be so bright_

_for a day will come where all its inhabitants will feel fright_

_ten, is the number that will make everything right_

_these special ones, powerful ones, descendants of the first ones™_

_are the key to a forever bright eternity, to honor the fraternity._


	2. 翁押往 | enlightenment

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> this is the beginning of irregular where it will explain how each of the members obtains the vision.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> disclaimer: the characters in the titles don't make any sense it's just for the aesthetic :)
> 
> yeah i decided to put myself through the long process of ten different origin stories..... there's this one vision that will repeatedly be shown ten times so bear with me here. I tried to switch up the description so I wouldn't bore you all out of your minds. (also, i'm not incredibly confident in the way i write so i apologize if it's unfamiliar to you.) once again, sorry for the repetition.

here's a brief explanation of 127 and who they are 

moon taeil

\- age: 22

\- date of birth: 14/6/1994 

\- special ability: air/wind (elemental)

\- location: seoul, south korea 

\- coordinates: 37.5665° N, 126.9780° E

\---

johnny suh

\- age: 21

\- date of birth: 9/2/1995

\- special ability: invisibility

\- location: chigaco, illinois, usa

\- coordinates: 41.8781° N, 87.6298° W

\---

lee taeyong

\- age: 21

\- date of birth: 1/7/1995

\- special ability: ice (elemental)

\- location: busan, south korea

\- coordinates: 35.1796° N, 129.0756° E

\-----

nakamoto yuta

\- age: 20

\- date of birth: 26/10/1995

\- special ability: fire (elemental)

\- location: tokyo, japan

\- coordinates: 35.6762° N, 139.6503° E

\-----

kim doyoung

\- age: 20

\- date of birth: 1/2/1996

\- special ability: flight

\- location: seoul, south korea

\- coordinates: 37.5665° N, 126.9780° E

\----

jung jaehyun

\- age: 20

\- date of birth: 14/2/1997

\- special ability: healing

\- location: hartford, connecticut, usa

\- coordinates: 41.7658° N, 72.6734° W

\----

dong sicheng (winwin) 

\- age: 19

\- date of birth: 28/10/1997

\- special abilities: telepathy, intangibility

\- location: shanghai, china

\- coordinates: 31.2304° N, 121.4737° E

\-----

kim jungwoo

\- age: 18

\- date of birth: 19/2/1998

\- special abilities: earth (elemental)

\- location: jeju-do, south korea

\- coordinates: 37.4563° N, 126.7052° E

\-----

mark lee

\- age: 16

\- date of birth: 2/8/1999

\- special abilities: illusions

\- location: vancouver, british columbia, canada

\- coordinates: 49.2827° N, 123.1207° W

\----

lee donghyuck

\- age: 15

\- date of birth: 6/6/2000

\- special abilities: telekinesis

\- location: incheon, south korea

\- coordinates: 33.4890° N, 126.4983° E


	3. ニ姻案 | fire.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> yuta's origin story.

[lowercase intended.] 

the final match. japan was tied with thailand at 2-2. nakamoto yuta, captain of the japanese soccer team wiped the sweat off his head in frustration as he walked with his team towards the coach.

"this is our last chance to win this, i want you guys to try your best because i know you can do it. we've come so far and we can't lose now," the coach looked at each of his players with a determined look in his eyes.

"hands in," yuta said as every team member placed their hands into the circle.

"japan!!" the boys screamed in unison as they ran back out onto the field after halftime.

the referee released the ball and the match started. thailand's top player bambam had quickly taken control of the ball and he was on japan's side.

yuta carefully analyzed his battle strategy as he ran alongside his teammates. just as he had returned full focus to the game, his teammate, kai, had gained control of the ball. the screams from the japanese supporters had gotten very loud when the ball was in the japanese captain's control. yuta skillfully dribbled the ball over to thailand's side. the cheers and screams had gotten even louder than before

"na yuta! na yuta! na yuta!" the crowd chanted, three minutes of the game remained.

yuta raised his leg to kick the ball into the goal when his surroundings went grey. it felt to yuta as if time had slowed.

visions of a glowing city glitched in his brain. tall neon skyscrapers decorated the skyline as magnetic levitation trains zoomed by.

"s-special ones," a distorted voice croaked.

right after the vision appeared, it disappeared.

the suspense grew as yuta made one last powerful kick into the goal. behind the ball was a trail of blue fire as the ball flew into the goal.

the once quiet stadium waiting in anticipation erupted into cheers!

"japan wins!" the commentator announced from the booth.

before yuta could even wonder where the fire came from, his teammates had picked him up and tossed him around in celebration.

"you did it! we did it!" kai, his best friend, smiled up at him.

"we did!" yuta smiled as he was presented with the tournament cup.

but what the hell was that?

the locker room of the stadium was soon emptied out and only yuta remained.

"congratulations on winning," a voice said.

yuta whipped around to see a blue-eyed man sitting cross legged in a shower stall. 

his eyebrows knitted together in confusion. 

"who are you?" 

the stranger made a clicking noise with his tongue.

"they always ask 'who are you?' never 'how are you?" 

"but-" yuta started. 

"no no, don't answer that." 

"okay," yuta paused, "why are you here?" 

"I'm here," the stranger got out the stall, "to wake you up." 

"wake me up?" 

the stranger forcefully pressed his index finger against yuta's head.

yuta felt his consciousness slip away from him. 

there he was, back on the neon city's cliff. 

_hello a voice invaded his mind_

_hi?_

_you know, usually i'd get more of a reaction out of people but you're special_

_where are we? yuta asked as the cold wind ruffled his scarlet locks_

_you'll find out eventually... the stranger smiled eerily_

_why did you say you were going to wake me up? have i been living in a dream for the past 20 years?_

_no no you're definitely awake... but your soul's not_

_my soul?_

_your soul._

_you, nakamoto yuta, are one of 10 special irregulars._

_irregulars? aren't those a myth?_

_yuta, if you were a myth i don't think you'd be standing here right now would you?_

_yuta cocked his head to the side and raised his eyebrows in agreement_

_you seem to be taking this so well.... that's not normal_

_well obviously this isn't real.... and im just dreaming so it's alright_

_the stranger sighed, you think it's not real?_

_nope._

_open your palm_

_yuta obliged and opens his palm_

_now, command fire to come out_

_what?_

_trust me._

_yuta stretched out his palm, fire_

_his eyes widened as a flame sprung up from the bases of his palm, the flame slowly evolved into a bigger one, and it encircled yuta's arms._

_what the hell._

_well it seems I've convinced you now, i'll be taking my leave._

_but-_

_all your questions will be answered in due time ___

__yuta opened his eyes and he was back in the locker room. the blue-eyed stranger was nowhere to be seen._ _


	4. 謁飲下 | ice.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> taeyong's origin story

[lowercase intended.]

"goodnight!" taeyong dropped ramen on the kitchen counter and walked up the stairs. his roommate smiled at him and picked up the ramen cup.

"finally i can get some rest," he sighed and plopped into his bed. as soon as his head hit the pillow, it took no longer than two minutes for taeyong to slip out of consciousness.

not long into his slumber, his eyebrows furrowed and his eyeballs rapidly navigated his eyelids.

taeyong was running through a green field with high grass, in the direction he was running, a green beam shone upon a glittery object. he felt joy like a little kid as he ran and ran without end. that was until everything glitched and the field froze over. his hands were covered in melting ice

"s-special one" a distorted voice whispered. taeyong looked around frantically for the owner of the voice.

just then, everything glitched once more and he was near the edge of a cliff, by now his breath was rigid. he decided to walk over to the edge of the cliff and what he saw was unlike anything he had ever seen before.

a city. not just any city, but a city straight from the futuristic utopias. a glowing city with tall neon skyscrapers and magnetic levitation trains that zoomed by with the blink of an eye. the streets were active with shops, restaurants, and bouncing nightclubs. the neon billboards were so bright taeyong could see them from ten miles away. this extravagant city was encased tightly in a seemingly unbreakable force field that glistened whenever a bird hit it.

is this real? taeyong felt as if he could just reach out and touch the force field.

"d-destiny, p-protect city, s-special ones." the distorted voice came again, but this time stronger.

special ones?

before anything else could happen, taeyong had jolted awake. his eyes were icy blue and the room was suddenly freezing cold. he could see his eyes through the mirror on the desk facing his bed.

"what the hell," taeyong shivered. he recalled how the field suddenly froze over in his lucid dream.

did i do that? 

"yes you did," he turned to see a blue-eyed man sitting on his windowsill. 

taeyong stumbled backward on his bed and he was about to fall, until he felt something touch his arm. 

"careful there," the stranger smiled at him. 

taeyong ripped his arm from the stranger's hold. 

"who are you and how did you get in my bedroom?" he stood defensively with his beside lamp in his hands. 

"relax, i'm here to help you," the stranger's blue eyes flickered to green. 

"y-you're like me!" taeyong dropped the lamp on his bed. 

for once, the stranger was actually confused. 

"what on earth do you mean, like me?" 

"whenever I look in the mirror, my eyes flicker from white to blue," taeyong said, "i was also born with white hair." 

the stranger furrowed his eyebrows and leaned closer. 

"have you ever purposefully made something freeze?" 

taeyong looked up at the ceiling in thought. 

"i froze off my bully's eyebrows in the 6th grade," taeyong laughed. 

"stop laughing, this is serious," the stranger snapped. 

taeyong shut up immediately. 

"what was the first place you were in your vision?" 

"a wheat field, i was running towards something, there was a green ray shining on it," taeyong replied. 

the stranger put his hand up to his mouth in shock. 

"what?" taeyong's eyes widened. 

"do you know what this means?" the stranger's eyes blew wide with realization. 

"no?" taeyong said, although it was more of a question. 

"well i can't tell you.... yet," he replied. 

"why not?" taeyong pushed. 

"because you're not ready yet." 

"that's what they always say," he scoffed. 

"no but it's true, you don't even know who you are or what you're capable of, how could you possibly be ready?' 

perhaps this weirdo is right taeyong thought

the stranger seemed to furrow his eyebrows right at taeyong. 

shit, can he hear my thoughts?

"would you like to know....." the stranger vanished almost as quick as he came, and taeyong was left in his small room with disheveled hair and a wracked brain.


	5. 疫げい | earth.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> jungwoo's origin story.

jungwoo loved the woods. ever since he was a little kid, he would spend every summer at his grandparent's cabin in the woods. there was just something about the trees that gave him life and energy. a peculiar thing about jungwoo is that he could talk to animals, at least he thought he could. he really couldn't tell whether he was hallucinating or not, but either way, the gentle critters were very friendly here. so when he was able to go over to his grandparents' for a 4-day weekend, he was ecstatic. living on jeju island, nature surrounded him at all times. the sea, the woods, and the luscious carpets of long grass that coated the area. the first thing he did when he arrived was walk to his favorite place; the canopy. where the trees all met to form a coverage above one's head. small amounts of sun shone through the leaves of the large oak trees situated in the canopy. as he stared up into the trees, the sun rays shining down onto his porcelain skin suddenly weren't there. the trees were replaced with bright stars as he looked down and saw the majestic neon city glowing in front of him.

"woah," jungwoo said as the cold wind ran through his brown locks as he observed the magnetic levitation trains run by at the blink of an eye. as soon as it appeared, it disappeared.

he was back in his favorite canopy, facing a large oak tree. he ignored what he saw, as he thought it was just his imagination.

jungwoo breathed in the fresh earthy smell.

"i love it here," he breathed out.

"i don't," a voice said.

jungwoo furrowed his eyebrows as he looked for the source of the voice.

"over here," the voice said again.

jungwoo looked up and saw a blue-eyed male sitting in a tree.

"and may i ask why you don't find the forest endearing?" jungwoo smiled.

"bugs," the stranger replied as he jumped down from the tree.

"well, that does make a lot of people hate the woods," jungwoo agreed.

"you're quite a peculiar boy, jungwoo, most would be frightened at a random man sitting in a tree."

"how do you know my name?" jungwoo frowned.

"you'll find out eventually," the stranger tilted his head and smiled.

a tiny white bunny circled jungwoo's legs, crunching the leaves on the ground.

"oh hello there!" jungwoo picked the creature up.

the bunny's large eyes seemed to brighten up at jungwoo's soft voice.

jungwoo giggled and pet the bunny.

"he says he found a carrot farm on the other side of the forest." the stranger narrowed his eyes.

"you can talk to animals?" he asked.

"well, i think i can," jungwoo paused, "i always thought i had some form of connection with the woods. like the plants make me feel...... powerful."

the stranger stared at jungwoo intensely.

"he's going to be a powerful one," the stranger muttered.

"pardon?" jungwoo leaned closer.

"nothing. don't worry about it," the stranger said. 

"do you wanna come in?" jungwoo pointed towards his grandparents' cabin. 

"eh, why not." 

"hey," jungwoo said, "why exactly are you here?"

"i'm here to help you."

"help me do what?" jungwoo asked.

"realize who you're meant to be."

"wh-"

the stranger calmly pressed his finger against jungwoo's temple. 

_"it's this city again; i thought it was just my imagination."_

_"technically, it was, but this place is very real."_

_"do you know why you can talk to animals?"_

_"no?"_

_"it's because you're an earth elemental."_

_"so... someone who can control dirt and whatnot."_

_"yes."_

_"that's neat."_

_"neat? not terrifying? mind you these stupid regulars don't think people like you should exist."_

_"i'm aware," jungwoo grimaces at the cold wind._

_"right, i should probably go," the stranger said abruptly._

_"wait-" jungwoo tried to call after the stranger, but he had leaped off the cliff and flew towards the city._

_in a snap, jungwoo was back on the dining table at his grandparents' house. ___


	6. ト仮鉛 | air.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> taeil's origin story

[lowercase intended.]

the sliding double doors of the corner convenience store slid open as the girl before taeil's shift ended. he collected his backpack and sat at the cashier's spot. usually, nobody really came by from one to four in the morning so he had time to finish his university  
homework.

taeil had been staring at a calculus equation for the past thirty minutes when the lights suddenly went out and a gush of air violently opened the store doors. instead of a street, behind the double doors, there was a city. a majestic city that glowed brighter than anything taeil had ever seen. the cold, dark wind ruffled his hair as he watched trains speed by.

"incredible," taeil said. he blinked, and the view of the dark street came back. he made a small sketch of everything he had just seen on a corner in his calculus homework, as he never wanted to forget the extravagant city.

"you're quite the artist," a voice said over his shoulder.

taeil rapidly snapped his neck to find a blue-eyed stranger peeking at his calculus homework.

his eyes blew wide with surprise when the male was suddenly in front of him placing a packet of seaweed on the counter.

"w-who are you?" taeil asked.

"is that what you ask all your customers when they wish to purchase items?" the stranger raised his eyebrows.

"there was nobody in here and then suddenly you appear behind my shoulder!" taeil exclaimed, "how else do you expect me to react?"

"you have a point," the stranger agreed, placing a thousand won down, "keep the change."

taeil furrowed his eyebrows at the male.

"what are you playing at?" taeil asked.

"i'm not playing at all," taemin said.

"then what _are _you doing?"__

__the stranger sighed and pulled a chair from the corner of the store._ _

__"you're special," he pointed at taeil._ _

__"my teachers told me that all the time in the 6th grade," taeil stated, "turns out they lied."_ _

__"this isn't a joke," the stranger made the seaweed wrap vanish into thin air._ _

__taeil's eyes widened once more._ _

__"you control the air," taemin said, "you can make it foggy, make it clear, blow things and people around, you just don't know it yet."_ _

__"is that so," taeil leaned forward, he was intrigued._ _

__"indeed," the stranger nodded._ _

__the bell of the store rang and the stranger quickly got up from his seat and put it back in the corner._ _

__"I'll be taking my leave now," the stranger left immediately._ _

__"but wait!" taeil said._ _

__"this isn't our last meeting," the stranger walked out the door._ _

__"taeil-ah, who was that?" a regular customer asked._ _

__"I don't know," taeil answered distractedly._ _


	7. えら果 | telepathy.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> winwin's origin story

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> from here the stories are gonna get a little dark so I'm gonna put a trigger warning in the beginning notes so please read them in case you may get triggered..
> 
> tw// domestic abuse, mentions of death

[lowercase intended.]

winwin silently walked back to his house. it was past 9 pm, and he knew he'd come home to an unpleasant sight. he opened his door silently and sighed with relief when he saw nobody there.

"i'm safe," he whispered.

"no, you're not." a slurred voice said from the dark corners of the living room.

his father walked out of the shadows. fear invaded winwin's headspace.

"d-dad," he stuttered.

"don't dad me, where were you?" he was clearly drunk.

"i-i was at t-the grocery store getting a pack of r-ramen," his father would know he was lying, as there was no ramen in sight.

"it's 9 pm at night, all the grocery stores are closed by now. where were you?" his father inched closer to him.

winwin didn't reply. he simply put his head down and sighed.

"not going to tell me the truth?" his father smiled evilly, "i'll beat it out of you"

first blow, to the stomach. winwin was used to this, but it hurt every time.

second blow, to the cheek. he slowly felt a bit of consciousness slip away.

third blow, to the head. the world glitched in front of his eyes.

his surroundings went grey as he saw a glowing city.

fourth blow to the- winwin had grabbed his father's arm in order to stop him from punching him again.

winwin's eyes turned white as he stared at his father.

"you."

his father stopped in his tracks and grabbed his head. winwin had manipulated his brain to relive his worst memory.

winwin's mother getting hit by a car and dying.

"enough!" his father yelled out, the echoes resonating within the house.

winwin's eyes returned back to their silky brown color as he looked at his father on the floor with furrowed eyebrows.

"get out," his father said.

winwin did not think twice. he rushed up to his room and grabbed all the things he could, stuffed them into a tiny suitcase, and left.

after reaching the bus stop, he broke down into tears. the heavy rain hit his back.

where was he going to go? what was he going to do?

he had no money, no life, no house, not even a job.

_i've been lost in the system. i'm a nobody with zero significance._

the bus slowed in front of winwin as he climbed it.

a bus ride to nowhere.

as he sat on the bus, he suddenly recalled the city he saw.

what even was that?

confusion was all he was feeling. he had just caused harm to his father.

i need to go to the library.

soon enough, the bus had arrived at the Shanghai Library.

winwin grabbed his suitcase and hopped out of the bus.

"how can I help you sicheng-ah?" The librarian asked him, he was here frequently as an attempt to stay educated.

"is there anything here about irregulars? we're doing a mystical project in school," he lied.

"mhm," she nodded, "last aisle to the right."

"thank you," winwin bowed.

he walked to the back of the library and found the mystical affairs section.

he scanned the shelf only to come across a neon book titled "IRREGULAR." He slid the book off the shelf only for a pair of blue eyes to pop out from the next aisle.

"I've been expecting you," the person tilted their head.

"who are you?" winwin asked.

"who am i? doesn't matter," the stranger placed his index finger on winwin's temple, "the real question is, who are you?"

winwin's eyes rolled into the back of his head as the stranger's voice invaded his mind. the image projected into his brain was him and the stranger sitting on the same cliff observing the glowing city.

_you, dong sicheng, are one of ten special irregulars._

_im an irregular?_

_yes._

_what exactly is that?_

_an irregular is an individual that possesses power beyond the comprehension of a regular. that thing you did to your father, that was telepathic manipulation, also known as legilimency._

_and all the times I fell through walls and barriers as a kid?_

_intangibility. the ability to walk through walls and to become bulletproof._

_and the city? winwin pointed to the neon metropolis encased in a force field. ___

__time will tell, the strangers voice faded out into the distance as winwin was brought back into reality. the peculiar stranger was nowhere to be seen._ _


	8. もゑの | illusions.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> mark's origin story
> 
> tw// kidnapping

[lowercase intended.]

his mother had always warned him never to be out past nine, but he decided to stay and shoot more hoops; to alleviate the heavy stress of high school off his shoulders. now, mark walked quietly along the dark streets of vancouver, a couple of blocks from home. as he turned the corner, he was met with a pair of eyes staring at him intently.

"hello," the stranger smiled.

"hi?" mark said, it was more of a question.

"would you like to try?" the male held out three lemon-flavored candies.

_does this man think i'm an idiot? _mark thought to himself.__

__"no thanks," mark pushed past the man, "i'll be going now."_ _

__before he could leave, the dim street lights illuminated a bulkier and scarier person._ _

__"you," the second man smiled evilly, "are not going anywhere."_ _

__he felt a blunt object hit his head, and he blacked out immediately._ _

__

__

__

__

__

__

__

__

__

__

__

__

__

__

__mark woke up in the back of a van, he had no idea where he was._ _

___"let's take him back to the den."_ _ _

__

___"poor kid, his mother is probably wondering where he is."_ _ _

____

____mark's breathing quickly became ragged as he realized what was happening to him._ _ _ _

____

____'im being kidnapped'_ _ _ _

____

______as the van violently navigated a road, he felt blocks of cement graze his ankles._ _ _ _ _ _

____

______'what am i going to do, how will i make it out alive?'_ _ _ _ _ _

____

________suddenly, he felt a surge of power in his brain, and a certain will to be free overcame his emotions._ _ _ _ _ _ __

____

________mark's eyes turned blue and the van "flipped" over off the side of a bridge._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

________what the drivers saw, was their death._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

________what mark saw, was a clear opening to his freedom._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

________mark picked up a block of cement and smashed the truck's back door in order to escape._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

________he ran and ran across the long bridge, the swerving truck fading into the distance._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

________he stopped just before the edge falling to the ground, head throbbing, tired and worn out._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

________"hello there," mark looked up to see a blue-eyed man staring at him intently._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

________mark's first instinct was to run away, but he was much too tired to do so._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

________"you're not going to kidnap me are you?" he asked._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

________"nonsense," the stranger clicked his tongue, "i am simply here to enlighten you."_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

________"enlighten me?"_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

________the stranger pressed his thumb to mark's forehead, and his eyes rolled to the back of his head._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

________"right I know we're on a bridge, but no one can see us."_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

________"why?"_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

________"we're going to the city."_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

________"the cit-" mark was cut off by a large blast of wind hitting his face and flushing his cheeks red._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

________at the end of the wind tunnel, stood a grand city, a city of lights. everything glowed, the neoglyphic letters lined the skyscrapers grazing the pulsing force field._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

________the stranger patted a patch of grass next to him at the edge of a cliff_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

________"i have a fear of heights," mark stated._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

________"that won't do you any good in the near future," the stranger replied, "come sit, you won't fall."_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

________mark nervously plopped himself down, feet dangling over the edge._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

________a brief moment of silence passed between the two, mark stared at the mysterious place in front of him._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

________suddenly, the stranger took his hand and opened it._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

________"what do you see?" the stranger asked._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

________"nothing," mark replied._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

________"close your eyes and think of something," he said._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

________mark closed his eyes and thought of a monarch butterfly fluttering around._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

________when his eyes opened, the same butterfly appeared._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

________"woah," mark's eyes followed the butterfly fluttering around his arms._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

________he tried to touch it, but his hand went right through it._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

________"it's not.... real?" mark gasped._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

________"correct," taemin smiled, "you possess the power of illusions."_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

________"you can make anyone see anything, you can conjure up worlds in your imagination but they'll never be real."_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

________"is that how i escaped that awful van?" mark asked._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

________the stranger nodded._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

________"thank you mr. stranger, for telling me," mark thanked him._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

________"you're welcome mark lee," the stranger vanished, and mark returned to the same spot on the windy bridge._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____


	9. 意ぁ媛 | flight.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> doyoung's origin story

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello to the people who are still reading this! I just wanna thank you, welcome to chapter 9 :)
> 
> honestly, I'm not too sure about how you all might feel about the chapters being really short and quick; for the actual story I'll try to make them long and compelling so I don't bore you to death. 
> 
> once again, thanks for reading!
> 
> let's get it. 
> 
> tw// car accident

[lowercase intended.]

doyoung drove slowly around the illuminated streets of seoul, admiring the neon lights hanging off of some buildings and kiosks. the faint noise of raindrops on his car soothed him after having a stressful day. he let out a sigh as he neared the bridge that goes over the han river. The lights that usually lightened the bridge weren't as bright as usual, so it was difficult to see where he was going. 

soon enough, the rain became much heavier and the visibility level was down low. 

doyoung could hardly see or hear a thing besides the excessive horning of a car. 

suddenly, he was blinded by lights and he was hit. 

a black van came at full force towards his car, and he blacked out. 

he awakened in a white room in which he was floating above the ground cross-legged with a certain grace. 

doyoung approached a door at the end of the room and opened it. 

the white room behind him disappeared, and he landed on the edge of a cliff overlooking a city. 

"neo city," doyoung read the glowing billboard in a language he didn't know but understood. 

"what is this place?" doyoung wondered. 

"home," a voice whispered in his ear. 

"home?"

"yes," the voice answered, "this is where you belong."

"welcome home," the voice faded out into the distance as doyoung was brought back to the scene. 

a surge of energy awakened him and he shot out of the car before a third collision could occur. 

he ran as far off the bridge as his legs could carry him. he didn't know what he just did, or what he just saw, but he knew that things like this never ended well. he knew for a fact that whatever he just did is not normal, and before he could be captured and placed in a research facility, he ran.


	10. 曖ョィ| invisible.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> johnny's origin story
> 
> tw// guns, shooting

[lowercase intended.]

johnny sat at a bar in chicago sipping on a glass of bourbon. he knew very well that he was not meant to be in such a place, as his mother had warned him never to get involved in these types of ordeals, but the alcohol was much too inviting for a very tired soul. sometimes the weight of college work can weigh you down a little too much. he sat silently, greeting regulars and newcomers who walked in and out of the small bar. 

suddenly, the door to the bar burst open, and men with guns entered. 

johnny was then reminded that this bar was in fact illegal, and the police weren't in favor of the owner's antics. 

"where is martinez?" one of the men yelled. when no one gave an answer, ten bullets went into the cement roof of the bar. 

"if no one will answer, you'll all have to die." 

gunshots resonated against the stone walls of the are. 

this sparked fear in the bar, and everyone began to run. some ran to bathrooms, and some found their way to the door. 

johnny however, got pushed and pulled in the crowd, and eventually knocked in the head with a diamond shot glass. 

johnny landed in the same exact bar, only nobody was inside. everything was white and still. 

"want some?" johnny whipped around to see a blue-eyed stranger offering him a glass of champagne. 

"who are you?" johnny asked. 

"that's not what's important," the stranger put the drink down, "what's important, is what we are in this realm to discuss." 

"realm?"

"the invisible realm. you can do anything and everything here, and nobody will see you or hear you." 

"how did I get here?" johnny asked. 

"you're unconscious," the stranger replied, "but if you had full control, you could come here anytime you'd like." 

"what exactly would I have control over?" 

"your powers. you can make things and yourself invisible." 

"that..... explains a lot," johnny sighed. 

a moment of silence passed between the two, and soon the stranger announced his departure. 

"make your way to the door on the left and you'll exit alive," the stranger faded away. 

johnny followed his advice and opened said door. the realm disappeared and he was standing on the street packed with injured people running frantically.


	11. 扱イ委 | telekinesis.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> hyuck's origin story
> 
> tw// bombing
> 
> [i won't use the city vision for hyuck because i have no idea how to fit it into a narrative like this.]

to be honest, donghyuck had absolutely no clue why he was in this abnormally tall office building waiting for an internship. 

baem enterprises. the sign read in bright crimson at the front desk. 

"name?" a voice snapped him out of his thoughts. 

"uh, lee donghyuck," he answered. 

she signed a post-it note and gave him directions. 

"go down the hallway, first door to the right," she pointed. 

"thanks!" donghyuck smiled nervously. 

donghyuck opened the door to a small office with a nice view of the han river. 

"hello?" he asked quietly, nobody there. 

he shrugged and made himself comfortable in the tiny black spinning chair. 

he quickly got bored of the view and began scraping the desk in front of him while chewing on popcorn he brought with him from the store. 

hours and hours of donghyuck scratching at the material of the desk passed and the sky began to darken. 

suddenly, he heard screaming, followed by extremely loud beeps resonating in his ear drums. 

_it can't be...._

"bomb! there's a bomb!"

donghyuck eyes blew wide open with panic as he speedily discarded the chair and ran for the exit. 

but it was too late, the bomb had gone off, and he heard an explosion. 

concrete and steel came raining down above his head and he thought, this is the end. 

_please i don't want to die_

he raised his hands above his head in a useless attempt to shield himself from the rubble, but little did he know, that it had worked. 

he looked up and saw the steel beam floating above his head. 

"what the hell, what the hell," his voice shook uncontrollably. 

he dropped the steel and continued running down the damaged stairs towards the exit. 

he then noticed a group of people gathered in a corner, the exit blocked by debris. 

he raised his hand, hoping that whatever he did on the stairs would work once more. 

fortunately, the cement blocks shifted away and the exit was wide open. 

the people hurriedly escaped from the building in order to be safe. 

donghyuck quickly scanned the perimeter to make sure there wasn't anyone else on the ground floor, and left the area before it folded in on him. 

outside, hundreds of injured people gathered on the street and stared at the collapsing building in front of them. 

donghyuck knew he had to run away from the scene. in the superhero movies he watched as a kid, heroes were praised and loved by the people. but in this world, there was no place for people like him. 

he picked up on his pace and ran to the nearest alleyway . 

"that was brave of you," a man approached him. 

donghyuck got up from where he was sitting in the nasty street and shuffled back. 

"don't come any closer," donghyuck said. 

the stranger shrugged and continued to walk towards him. 

soon, hyuck was backed up against the wall. 

"listen, i'm not here to hurt you," the dim street light reflected off the stranger's bright blue eyes, "i'm here to help you."

"help me with what?" donghyuck scowled. 

"i'm just like you," the stranger began, "when i was a teenager like you, i got into some trouble and something helped me get out."

"whatever you did back there, was not just a one time thing, it has been there since the beginning and it will stick with you for the rest of your life... i am merely suggesting that you figure how to use it to your advantage." 

"how do i know you're not fucking with me?" donghyuck asked. 

the alleyway vanished from under donghyuck in a sweep of dust. 

"do you still think i'm bluffing?" the stranger sat cross-legged on the edge of a cliff. 

"where are we?" 

the blue-eyed male pointed to the edge of the cliff

"this is where you belong."

"where I belong...." hyuck repeated. 

where you belong

the stranger disappeared and hyuck was back in the murky alleyway.


	12. 逸ジ員 | healing.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> jaehyun's origin story

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tw// drugs, gangs, beatings
> 
> [last one before the real story!]

"jae wait up!" his friend eric called after him in the hallway. 

"yeah what's up?" jaehyun smiled his dimpled smile. 

"i just got this new deal with my uh... _business_ ," eric lowered his voice, "i'm supposed to meet him at some bar in new haven tonight." 

jaehyun new about his friend's illegal drug business, and he frowned. 

"eric, i really don't know if this whole business is a good idea," jaehyun said. 

"come on jae, it's bringing in good money! you know my mom's sick," eric replied. 

"i know, but there's really other ways you could go about this," jaehyun scrunched his nose to re-adjust his glasses, "you could come work with me." 

"it doesn't offer enough money," eric sighed, "i need it for the treatment."

"slow earning is better than risking your life i can promise you that," jaehyun replied, "i don't want to see you get hurt."

eric's eyes saddened at jaehyun's words. 

"i'll consider it, after i get this deal," eric backed away from jaehyun as he ran off to his car. 

jaehyun shook his head and continued on to his physics class. 

later that day, when the sun had set, jaehyun received a call from eric.

"j-jae," eric coughed out, "i-i'm at the d-docks.. ah!"

"eric? eric!" jaehyun yelled into the phone, he heard a crack and the phone line dropped.

"what the f-fuck," jaehyun stuttered to himself. 

he pulled his feathery pink locks back in frustration. 

he then hopped in his car and drove towards docks with one goal in mind. 

i've got to save eric. 

he was met with the dark waters of the docks. jaehyun exited his car and shut the door quietly in order not to bring attention to himself. he pulled the hood of his black hoodie up and walked into the first warehouse he saw on the edges of the water. he entered the building, the foul smell and the drugs littered across the floor told him that he had found exactly what he needed to find. 

jaehyun walked farther into the warehouse and he cringed as his old sneakers crunched the green leaves on the blood-littered floor. footsteps approached the area he was in and he quickly hid behind a wall. the people walking towards him passed the wall and jaehyun continued his search for eric. 

he heard whimpering from a stall hidden in a dark corner of the warehouse; he hoped it was eric. jaehyun opened the creaky stall door only to find eric, sitting with his knees drawn up to his chest, bloodied up and shaken to the core. 

"eric!" jaehyun exclaimed and helped his friend out of the stall. 

"j-jae," eric sobbed, "i'm so happy you found me." 

"what did they do to you," jaehyun sighed, brushing eric's hair out of his eyes to find a cut running down from his forehead through his eyebrow. 

"i-i came for the deal, like i told you, and i didn't expect to run into gang members," eric explained, "they sent in false orders and i brought what they sent in."

"they were all high, and it turns out that what i brought wasn't enough. they fucking beat me up for it and i managed to run into this stall before they could start again." 

"oh god eric," jaehyun felt tears well up in his eyes, the last thing he'd ever wanted was to see his best friend get hurt. 

eric suddenly went silent, and he figured that he had passed out. 

jaehyun placed a hand over eric's heart to be sure that he was alright. 

suddenly, a white aura appeared under jaehyun's palm that circled around eric's body. the scars lining his arms and face slowly vanished, leaving his skin as soft as jaehyun had always known it to be.

jaehyun hastily retracted his arm from eric's heart as he woke up. he examined his palm with heavy breaths. 

"jaehyun...." he heard eric's hushed voice call his name, "what did you do to me?" 

jaehyun looked up from his palm and stared at eric. 

"i-i healed you," jaehyun replied, "i don't know how though."

eric slowly backed away from jaehyun, smiling wearily. 

"listen jae, i am so thankful that you found me and... healed me, but that's not supposed to happen." 

jaehyun recalled what they had been taught all their lives. 

_"sick beings, they ought to be killed."_ he heard his uncle's voice in his head. 

"eric, please, i don't know anything about this," jaehyun pleaded, "it just... happened." 

"eric i swear to you," jaehyun dropped on his knees. 

eric stopped backing away and pressed his lips into a thin line. 

"i trust you," eric smiled softly, "i trust you jae." 

jaehyun sighed in relief and helped eric stand. 

"let's go home," jaehyun said, "please don't get yourself into these kind of things again, eric im begging you." 

eric nodded and followed jaehyun to his car. 

jaehyun turned the key in the lock of his apartment. he opened the door and he was met with a blue-eyed man sitting on his favorite couch. he closed the door and opened it again, the man was still sitting there. 

"how the hell did you get into my apartment," jaehyun stared at the male. 

he turned to look at jaehyun and leaped off the couch with a certain grace. 

"what a lovely greeting," the stranger rolled his eyes. 

"people who break into other people's apartments don't deserve lovely greetings," jaehyun stated, "i'm certain you would know that." 

"get out," jaehyun motioned towards his door. 

the stranger smiled, "not so fast." 

"it is midnight, i just had some wild ordeal down by the bay and i really don't want to have to manhandle you out of my apartment," jaehyun rubbed his temples. 

"listen," the stranger finally used a serious tone, "i'm only here to explain to you what happened tonight, then i'll leave." 

"how do you know what happened?" jaehyun stopped rubbing his head. 

"there's no time for extra questions," the stranger said, "sit."

jaehyun weighed his options, but ultimately sat on the couch. 

there was a moment silence replaced by the rain pouring outside.

"would you like to know what happened, jaehyun?" 

jaehyun cringed because no one ever used his full name anymore. 

he nodded nonetheless and the stranger began to explain. 

"you can heal people, because you are a healer," he said. 

jaehyun wearily stared at the stranger, "won't i be killed for that?"

"you could be, not if you make it to the city though," the stranger replied, "you'll be safe there." 

"what is this city?" jaehyun asked. 

"i'll show you," the stranger lead jaehyun to his balcony where the rain stopped pouring. 

instead of the streets, jaehyun saw a glowing city with tall neon skyscrapers. his eyes followed the trains that sped by on the track that circled the perimeter of the city. jaehyun's gaze drifted up to the pulsing forcefield that seemed unbreakable. 

he leaned on the balustrade and took in everything that he could, and then it was gone.

"woah," he breathed out. 

he expected to hear a reply, but he turned to his left and the stranger had vanished.


	13. 飲ニモ | together.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 127 meet each other for the first time and stay together in preparation to leave for the city.

_meet me at this address tonight, there's a lot of things we need to discuss._

the blue-eyed male signed off the small note he had sent to his new pupils. In their respective countries, they were to visit a specific area and walk through a portal to arrive. he was prepared to teach them everything they had to know about themselves, the city, and how to become the guardians of it.

then the digital clock on his wall struck nine. he snapped his fingers, and he was met with five figures meandering through a wall in the back alleyway of a convenience store. 

the panicked people seemed to relax a little when they saw the blue-eyed male opening a door that lead to the basement of the convenience store. 

* * * * 

"welcome," the atmosphere of the damp basement was awkward, each of the boys stood in their own separate corner. "this must be awkward for you all," the stranger noted, "can't blame you though, none of you know each other." 

they all stayed silent and looked everywhere but each other and the stranger. 

"my name is taemin," the stranger said, "and i've been summoned to guide you."

the expressions on their faces told taemin that they thought he was crazy. 

"guide us through what?" taeyong asked, coming out of a corner. 

"your destiny," it felt as if the room went cold, a chill went down their spines. 

"does this have anything to do with that funky city you showed me last week?" taeil asked. 

"y-you saw that too? I thought it was just me," mark replied. 

"all of you were shown the vision," taemin informed, "it was a strategy to get you here, in this basement, ready for the future." 

"so, why us? why ten random misfits?" winwin came out of a shadowed corner, they turned to look at the quiet figure in the corner of the room, "what makes us the _ones?_ " 

"you are the most powerful irregulars of the 3rd generation," taemin said, "you just don't know it yet."

"what is our destiny, taemin hyung?" donghyuck asked. 

"those superheroes you read about in comics and you watch in films," taemin began, "they have a duty to protect their country, their city, their world."

"you," the looked each of them in the eye, "have a duty, to protect the city, neo city." 

a feeling of adrenaline circled around the room, it was clear because a small smile started to spread on each of their faces. 

"people like us aren't accepted here," jaehyun spoke up, "if we go to this... place, we'll be free to explore ourselves and fulfill our destiny while doing it.... sounds fun to me." 

each of them seemed to be considering the pros of escaping the suffocating society they were stuck in. 

"how do we get there?" doyoung asked. 

* * * *

the door to a hotel room swung open and the boys stepped in and looked around. taemin ushered them into the living room and told them to take a seat. 

"so, you all will be staying here for the weekend in order to get somewhat acquainted with each other," taemin explained, "you know, break the ice." 

jungwoo opened his mouth to speak, but said nothing. 

"alright then, see you all in two days!" taemin vanished in the middle of the room. 

nobody moved for the next thirty seconds, as they were unsure of what to do or say. 

"erm," donghyuck scratched his head, "who's rooming with who-"

the sound of a bed creaking grabbed their attention and they looked to see yuta jumping on a bed in the first room; he had taken a pack of seaweed from the table and was eating out of it.

"what?" yuta looked up at them staring. 

donghyuck shook his head and turned back around. 

"there's five small rooms, two beds per room," taeyong noted, "that means two of us share a room." 

the room went silent.

"this is awkward," winwin said from the couch. 

"crazy would be more like it," johnny replied, "if someone told me last week that I would be in a hotel room for the weekend with nine other people with superpowers, i would have looked at em' funny." 

"anyone normal would have," doyoung said. 

johnny slightly glared at doyoung but he shrugged in return. 

"before you two fight, let's get this room situation sorted," taeil suggested. 

in around thirty minutes, the rooms had been assigned by taeyong and taeil. 

"so," taeyong started, "you two," he pointed at johnny and doyoung, "will share a room." 

"and you," taeil looked at mark and donghyuck. 

"then you guys," jaehyun and winwin looked at each other once they had been paired. 

"and lastly, you two," taeyong pointed between yuta and jungwoo. 

"and then i guess that leaves us," taeil smiled at taeyong, taeyong smiled back. 

"so uh, i guess we're gonna have to introduce ourselves now," mark said. 

"yeah, let's go around in a circle. name, age, country you're from," taeyong suggested, "basic things. 

after each of the boys had introduced themselves, they started to find common interests too. at that sweet moment of exchange, they thought that maybe this new thing they were subjected to wasn't so bad. maybe there was an upside to it. 

"it's getting pretty late," yuta yawned, "i'm heading to bed."

everyone agreed and went to their respective rooms. 

* * * * 

the next morning, taemin popped into the living room and nearly fell over due to winwin sitting on the living room floor with his knees drawn up to his chest. "you scared me," taemin said. winwin didn't answer, and continued staring at the wall. 

"are you alright?" taemin asked, looking at the boy strangely. 

"insomnia, nightmares," winwin replied blankly, "i've had it since i was a kid." 

"your cheek," taemin pointed out, "that wasn't there yesterday or the week before."

"i cover them with makeup," winwin got up from where he was sitting, "i don't need any questions to be asked."

he didn't say anything as he watched winwin return back to his room silently. 

_i'll ask at a later time_ he thought. 

an hour later, taemin snapped the curtains open and the sun blared through the windows and several groans resonated within the room walls. "it's a new day everybody wake up!" taemin said, "we have things to discuss." 

everyone groggily trudged out of their rooms and plopped themselves on the couch. 

"you all look like shit," yuta commented. 

"well if you haven't noticed it's the ass crack of dawn," doyoung snapped. 

"sorry your highness," yuta bowed mockingly. 

doyoung was about to reply with a snide comment but taeyong grabbed his arm and forced him to sit on the couch. taemin pulled an armchair in the circle and sat down. there was a lot of things he needed to explain. 

"tomorrow night we leave for the city," taemin said, "for first timers its quite a journey but you'll survive." 

mark looked puzzled, "but what about the people we're leaving behind?" 

"i've taken care of that, i promise," taemin answered. 

the look he gave them told them everything they needed to know. 

"any questions?" he looked around the room, donghyuck opened his mouth to reply. 

"what will we do when we get there?" he asked. 

"you settle in, then we begin training." 

"training?" jungwoo asked. 

"what kind of superhero doesn't know how to use their powers?" taemin chuckled.


	14. ね員因 | brave new world.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 127 finally arrive at the city! mark and donghyuck make some new friends.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> kantech (kahn-tek)
> 
> neo city's official language (looks like japanese)

night had fallen and winwin leaned on the balcony, looking down at the cars passing the streets.

"i didn't expect to find you here," jaehyun said behind him. winwin turned around gave him a soft smile, telling him he can come over to where he was standing. "this whole situation is strange isn't it," jaehyun chuckled. winwin turned to him, "i think it's a good thing, i've got nowhere to go."

jaehyun's smile faltered and he scanned winwin's face, "whatever it is, it must be the reason for your... bruises."

winwin was surprised by jaehyun's attention to detail and nodded sadly, "ever since i lost my mom, my dad started getting drunk and beating me up for no reason. i've always wanted to escape that hellhole. this was my chance, or else i might have just died."

jaehyun closed his eyes and put his hand on winwin's cheek, the aura appeared once again and the bruises disappeared slowly. winwin's skin glowed once more. he brought his hand up to his cheek and expected to wince, but everything was fine.

"you healed me," winwin breathed out, "thank you, jaehyun."

jaehyun smiled, "anytime."

* * * *

winwin watched the time on his watch flicker from eleven to twelve, as the number of cars on the streets had gone down to three passing by every ten minutes. the lights of the seoul skyline blinked quietly in the distance while the water of the han river rushed by behind him. jaehyun had gone to bed half an hour before, as he had gotten tired. winwin planned to stay on the balcony as long as he could; it was cold, but he didn't really care. the ambience was enough for him to survive out here.

he thought back to the moment he had with jaehyun earlier, how he had healed his cuts and bruises. he was thankful, he really was. winwin smiled at the thought of having a friend for the first time in years.

when the clock flickered to one, he decided that he would head to bed. he walked into the room to find jaehyun fast asleep, his pink hair spread across his pillow. he smiled to himself and climbed into bed and his thoughts slipped away from him, he closed his eyes.

* * * *

"we should talk more," taeyong said out of nowhere. everyone looked up from what they were doing awkwardly, and taeyong shrunk back into the couch, "nevermind."

"no, he's right," taeil replied, "we're going to be stuck together in some mystical land so let's talk."

"about what though?" donghyuck asked.

"about yuta's awful habit of pouring the milk before the cereal?" johnny looked at yuta expectantly.

"i will char your eyebrows off," yuta glared at johnny.

"oh yeah?" johnny teased.

flames popped out of yuta's fingertips, "yeah."

taeil clapped his hands together, "nobody will be charring anyone's eyebrows off."

yuta and johnny reclined into their seats.

"it's almost 9pm, shouldn't we be getting in the mindset for this whole ordeal?" jaehyun asked.

"jae's right," johnny agreed, "we've been acting sort of nonchalant about this but it's real, and it's not so far away from us. let's talk about it."

"this whole expedition we're about to embark on is strange, but it's an opportunity," mark started, "the world hates people like us, they think we're messed up. so going to this new place where we can be us is.... amazing. we're just getting to know ourselves and who we truly are and i believe that it's important to do so in a free world."

"i agree," jaehyun thought about winwin, "some of us have got nowhere to go anyways."

after some time, taemin appeared in the middle of the living room.

"are you guys ready?" everyone nodded in response, "we're going to teleport to the entrance, so hold on tightly."

they shuffled into taemin's inner circle and suddenly, the hotel room disappeared from view and they were standing in a dark cave. the cave was lined with neon diamonds that glowed darkly. taemin detached himself from the boys, leaving them huddled behind him. he stepped up to a willow leaf curtain and swept it open, revealing a pulsing diamond medallion engraved into a wall.

taemin used his index and middle finger to draw a symbol on the medallion, and the wall systematically cracked open to reveal a tunnel.

"what are you all waiting for?" taemin turned to see them still huddled together, looking bewildered.

after crossing through the tunnel, they arrived at the edge of a cliff.

"it's the same one," taeyong said, staring in awe at the city glowing miraculously in realtime.

"mhm," taemin hummed.

the same cold wind from their dreams rustled their clothing and hair as they stared at the majestic view below. it wasn't like anything they'd ever seen in their life; a place, a magical place risen from the light of the cosmos. it was a serene sight to see; the sound of the silent maglev trains rushing back and forth over the track, the lights atop the skyscrapers blinking every five seconds, to the occasional noises of the force field pulsing whenever a section was opened to let someone in.

taemin led them from the cliff to the entrance port; the gateway. there was a large sign hanging above the gateway saying 'welcome to neo city,' in a language they had never seen before. taemin guided them to a section for first-timers, where they would get their information put into the system.

"everyone step forward into the purple circle," a border control guard said, "when you get to the scanner, put your index and middle finger on the platform."

taeyong was called up first and he did as he was told, "lee taeyong, ice elemental," a robotic voice said, and the scanner flashed green.

the rest went through the same process, and soon, they were in the system.

as they made their way to the train station past the gateway, mark stopped and stared up the city from below the four tracks, "am i dreaming?" he asked.

"you're not dreaming mark," jaehyun smiled and patted his shoulder, "this is real."

mark shook his head in disbelief and continued walking towards the train station.

big neon billboards displaying the train lines and times flashed in their faces.

_neo city dreamline next arrival: 11:11 pm, capital district_

_neo city 127line next arrival: 11:20 pm, district one_

_neo city vision line next arrival: 11:30 pm, district six_

_neo city united next arrival: 11:40 pm, district two_

suddenly, mark and donghyuck felt a force collide into their backs.

"oh my gosh i'm so sorry!" an orange-haired boy was picking up some snacks from the ground.

"let me help you with that," mark replied, frowning a little because he was speaking a language he didn't know.

"you must be new here, you're kantech's kinda bad," the orange-haired boy smiled.

"oh haha, yeah," mark laughed awkwardly.

"i'm jaemin," jaemin said, "i was just on my way to the capital to visit a friend from my house. looks like you're going there too! you can come over, i can introduce you."

"if taemin-hyung's okay with that," he added.

"oh sure!" taemin said in the back, "make some friends mark, and bring donghyuck with you!"

"the more the merrier," jaemin said.

the large digital clock on the platform displayed 11:11 and a purple train stopped infront of them, the doors smoothly sliding open to welcome people in.

 _"neo city dreamline to the capital district has arrived."_ the PA system announced.

people quickly crammed onto the train and the doors began to shut.

"you may want to be careful," jaemin warned, "the train moves really fast."

at that, everyone held on to the poles harder as the doors closed and the train sped off. jaemin was right, the train moved at an extremely fast speed, but it was like the outside views moved in slow motion. the train left the station area and climbed uphill, and flattened out at the top.

"so," jaemin looked at the ten afraidly huddled together next to poles, "when did you all arrive here."

"about fifteen minutes ago," doyoung replied, attempting to sound neutral, but failing when the train jerked to a stop.

"well this is our stop," taemin said and motioned to the opening doors.

_"welcome to the capital."_

everyone stepped out and walked down the stairs into the main station. the station was huge, and had multiple cross sections with different travel options. accross the arrival hall, there were people teleporting in and out of the station with many kinds of strange objects no one had seen before.

"well i guess this is where we leave you two," taemin said, scooting mark and donghyuck over to jaemin, "bye!"

jaemin could be heard chuckling behind them, "ah taemin-hyung, he's fun."

"but anyway, renjun's apartment isn't too far from here," jaemin said, stuffing the snacks in a bag he pulled out of his pocket.

one minute, jaemin was there, the next he wasn't. he had run off at a speed that was incomprehensible for mark and donghyuck. he had simply vanished, the blur of his orange hair and hoodie the only thing visible.

"sorry," he apologized, but smiled when he saw the look on their faces, "superspeed. that's my ability."

"ah," mark said, still shocked. they continued on through the busy streets of the city. the streets glowed with ominous but bright blues, pinks, and purples as the chatter and clanking of plates resonated against the walls. the smell of ramen filled their noses as they turned the corner past a convenience store. a pile of ramen sat on the floor near an apartment window.

"here it is," jaemin stood infront of a door that scanned his face.

_"welcome, jaemin."_

the door to the apartment slid open to reveal four other people lazing around on the floor arguing.

"you idiot! why would you do that?" a brown-haired boy yelled.

"it had to happen!" a blonde-haired one yelled back.

"no, it didn't!"

"can you two please shut up!" a black-haired boy walked in from the kitchen.

"yeah- wait jaem who are these people?" a silver-haired boy asked.

"they're new friends jisung-ah," jaemin replied.

"you brought random people into my apartment?" the brown-haired one asked blankly.

"renjun, they're new here they need some guidance," jaemin said.

"i'm jeno," the jeno said, smiling at mark and donghyuck.

the sight of the boy's eyes smiling at them too nearly made mark melt to the ground. he smiled lightly at the boy, "i'm mark, and this is donghyuck."

"hey!" the blonde-haired one piped up, "i'm chenle."

"sorry, my place's kind of a mess thanks to these fools," renjun gestured to chenle and jisung.

"you told us to make ramen!" chenle shot back.

"and you _threw it_ out the window!"

"don't mind them," jaemin chuckled.

renjun gestured for mark and donghyuck to take a seat on his couch facing a view of the city.

"here," jeno offered them packs of fluorescent gummy bears.

"why do they glow in the dark?" donghyuck asked skeptically.

"don't know," chenle replied, popping one into his mouth, "they taste good though."

mark's eyebrows furrowed when he realized that they were speaking a language he didn't know existed once again, "what language are you all speaking and why do i understand what you're saying?"

"ah, if you're an irregular like everyone here, you're automatically going to understand kantech. it's in your blood," jeno replied.

mark noticed donghyuck hadn't been speaking much since they arrived, "are you okay?"

"i'm fine," donghyuck replied, "this is kinda crazy though."

renjun sat next to him and patted his shoulder, "transitioning from out there to here can be a little hard but you'll get the hang of it donghyuck."

"besides," jisung said, "we can always help if you need it."

"yeah, we can help each other along the way," jaemin smiled at mark and donghyuck and took a seat on the couch.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the dreamies look like they did during go era FYI :D
> 
> whew! over 2k words for this chapter!!
> 
> i don't wanna sound annoying or anything lol but i'd appreciate some feedback in the comments from you all! whether it's about the storyline, some mistakes maybe, I'll be really glad to read them. as I've mentioned before, my writing isn't as cool as i'd like it to be so i could improve on it with your commentary :).
> 
> anyways, I'm happy with the progress of the story and I'll update the next chapter later tonight or earlier tomorrow because i don't have school on Thursday. 
> 
> in the next chapter we'll see markhyuck moments with each other and the dreamies + 127 training :)
> 
> stay tuned friends!

**Author's Note:**

> welcome to irregular! this book has been in the planning stages for a very long time and i'm excited to finally be publishing this :D
> 
> i noticed that there was a lack of supernatural nct aus on both ao3 and wattpad; (i will be posting this book on archive of our own as well in due time.) this may sound a little odd of me to say, but this is in fact a completely original idea. the concept of nct 127's regular-irregular sorta fascinated me and i was intrigued by the idea of "neo city." now i know it was just a concert name or whatever but after seeing snippets of it as a city in regular's mv, i was REALLY intrigued. so i dreamed up an entirely false reality based on cyberpunk-ish futuristic cities with the elements of dystopia, utopia, and korean and japanese neon street lights combined. 
> 
> so now you know the backstory of this idea, sorry about the long author message and thank you for reading. I hope you enjoy this book :)


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